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Special About Coronavirus

COVID-19

UN Sustainable

Development Goals

50- Vote!

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49- Write to your local MP/Local Government Representative

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48- Raise Your Voice Against Discrimination

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47- Advocate And Educate

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46- Organise a “No Impact Week” at Work

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45- Mentor Young People

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44- Support Women’s Equality

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43- Voice Your Support for Equal Pay for Equal Work

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42- Support Economically Ignored/Vulnerable Minorities

41- Support Circular Economy

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40- Empower Refugees by Supporting Refugee Jobs

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39- Empower People with Disabilities

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38- Volunteer

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37- Donate Part of Your Earnings

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36- Embrace Slow Travel

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35- Fly Less

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34- Walk More

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33- Use More Sustainable Transport

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32- Work Remotely

31- Stay Well-Informed

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30- Use less paper/go paperless

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29- Make the World Green Again

28- Offset your travel carbon emissions

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27- Recycle

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26- Patronise Green Brands

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25- Lengthen the Life Cycle of Your Clothes

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24- Support Sustainable Fashion

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23- Buy pre-loved

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22- Freeze Fresh Produce and Leftovers

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21- Champion Composting

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20- Don’t waste food

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19- Grow Your Own Food

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18- Support Sustainable Food Production

17- Reduce Meat Consumption

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16- Look for the Fairtrade label

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15- Keep Beaches Clean

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14- Keep our Oceans Plastic Free

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13- Recycle Batteries Properly / Use Rechargeable Batteries

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12- Use Energy Indoors Responsibly

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11- INTERVIEW: LITER OF LIGHT

10- Harvest Rainwater

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9- Use Water Filters

8- Lessen your water consumption

7- Reuse towels and sheets in hotels

6- Shop locally

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5- Support Products Without Planned Obsolescence

4- Use Reusable Containers

3- Bring reusable bags to supermarkets

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2- Cut use of plastics

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1- Be A Responsible Consumer

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The Butterfly Defect

by: Natalia Diaz

The coronavirus pandemic is a stark reminder of our interconnectedness with the natural world, calling us to cultivate a deeper respect for it.

A butterfly flaps its wings over Brazil and causes a tornado in Texas. Or in these times of coronavirus, a bat flaps its wings over China and causes a systemic whirlwind around the planet. How can a tiny event in one part of the world create such a monumental global impact?

natural order arises from the operations of the universe, a living entity exhaling “pneuma”, the breath of life. A core belief of Buddhism is that everything is interconnected; no beings or phenomena exist independently of other beings.

In more contemporary times, the late astrophysicist Carl Sagan underlined our common genesis with the universe when he said, “we are made of star stuff, we are a way for the cosmos to know itself”, because the atoms that form us and everything else in the world were forged in the nuclear cores of stars. And in the 1970s, the Gaia Hypothesis emerged to posit that the Earth functions as a closely interlinked system, wherein living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings in a synergistic way to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life.

Such beliefs can be observed in scientific fact, if we contemplate the symbiotic nature of our world and its infinite interactions that define our cohabitation on Earth: humans and animals depend on plants to breathe oxygen, plants rely on the carbon dioxide we breathe out to photosynthesize the sun’s energy, plant roots provide sugars for fungi, and in turn fungi help plants extract nutrients and water from the soil and protects it from harmful organisms. Biologists refer to “ecosystem services” as the numerous ways nature supports us and each other, from the birds and the bees that pollinate crops, to the forests that filter our water and serve as the “lungs” of the planet.

If the current global pandemic is anything, it is a sobering reminder of our fundamental interconnectedness with the natural world. This is hardly a new concept — the original Greek and Roman Stoics explored how individuals should act based on logic and an understanding of nature, believing that a

A graph of a chaotic function called the Lorenz attractor.

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Disease and disconnection

Looking at the world today, however, it seems that we have collectively failed at coming to a deeper understanding of this intimate relationship. Instead of seeing ourselves as part of an interdependent whole, we’ve disconnected so far from it and restructured the system into an anthropocentric model, believing us to be superior to all other species.

Despite the planet having enough resources to sustain us, we’ve severely depleted it to keep up with the ceaseless demand of a growing world population. We’ve encroached on nature and cut down acres upon acres of life-giving forests in the name of mass production without thinking of the massive consequences on other living beings — and ourselves. We’ve overfished our seas and choked our oceans with plastic. We’ve eroded our lands from agricultural use and stripped our freshwater tables that we’re so dangerously close to zero. We’re poisoning nature needlessly with harmful chemical pesticides. Something as seemingly “small” and inconsequential to us as killing off scores of native milkweed plants with pesticides means cutting off the food supply of monarch butterflies.

To believe that we are invincible from the consequences of our actions is supreme arrogance. And so it is with supreme irony that we, the self-appointed sovereign of the food chain, are reminded of our sheer vulnerability when faced with a tiny, invisible co-inhabitant of the natural world.

Spillover to humans

Long before the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing global economic paralysis, we already had numerous, glaring clues of what was to come from the hundreds of diseases that have

emerged over the last several decades. Deadly diseases such as Ebola, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, H1N1 (swine flu) and coronavirus are the effect of what we have done and continue to do to nature as we usurp and destroy natural habitats.

About 60% of infectious diseases that affect humans are zoonotic; they come from animals. Influenza originated from birds and pigs, HIV came from chimpanzees, the Ebola virus, which was transferred to humans through the handling of bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food), infected villagers in rural Gabon who had captured and eaten a chimpanzee from a nearby forest in 1996.

A New York Times article in 2015 reported on a study by the International Livestock Research Institute that had found that more than two million people a year are killed by diseases that spread to humans from wild and domestic animals. The report highlighted the Nipah virus in South Asia and the Hendra virus in Australia as examples of how disrupting an ecosystem leads to disease. These viruses find an ideal host in fruit bats, which are immune to the virus because of millions of years of evolution. It was very likely that a fruit bat had infected a piggery in a forest, causing a deadly outbreak in rural Malaysia in 1999, where people suffered and died from permanent neurological disorders.

Fast forward to the era of Covid-19 — scientists have offered the possibility that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was transmitted to humans by an intermediate animal host infected by a bat. It is a theory echoed by a top infectious diseases expert, Professor Kim Woo-Ju of the University Guro Hospital in Seoul, who is responsible for providing public information on the most up-to-date, accurate information about Covid-19. In an interview with Asian Boss, the professor stated, “It was in a wholesale seafood market in Wuhan where [the virus] is believed to have been transmitted to a human...there had to be intermediate hosts, whether a pangolin or snake, we are not entirely sure yet. The virus known as SARS-CoV-2 that caused Covid-19 jumped from a bat to an intermediate host, a pangolin or a snake, and then to a human, resulting in severe pneumonia”.

A recent CNN report stated, “When a bat is stressed - by being hunted, or having its

scientist with equipment | Photo by joker1991

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Chinese typical fish and living snakes and reptiles market | Photo by tostphoto

habitat damaged by deforestation - its immune system is challenged and finds it harder to cope with pathogens it otherwise took in its stride”...thus allowing infections to increase and be excreted.

The spillover to humans has been traced back by researchers to the Huanan Market in Wuhan, China, a likely ground zero because 21 out of the first 41 patients of COVID-19 had been to this wet market notorious for selling wild animals for consumption. This was not the first time a similar incident had occurred — in 2002, SARS was also traced to a wet market in Guangzhou, southern China. It was very possible that the virus survived in the animal hosts being kept in captivity in these markets.

Climate change and disease

There have been numerous scientific studies linking the rise of new infectious diseases to the changing climate. We can look as far back as the Medieval Warm Period (AD 950-1300), which “may have helped rats and fleas to thrive in Europe, paving the way for the Black Death that killed a third of Europeans between 1347 and 1352”, according to The Thinking Person’s Guide to Climate Change (2019) by Robert Henson.

Speaking with environmental law and climate change expert, Frank A. Fritz, Senior Fellow at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), who previously worked for several years at the US Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and is currently part of a UNLV think tank to advance environmental legislation in the United States, said “The American Public Health Association (AHPA) and the U.S. National Climate Assessment state that increased median temperatures, duration of warm seasons, changes in precipitation and increased flooding and storms, which are all associated with climate change, are increasing disease carried by insects in North America, such as Lyme disease, Zika, West Nile virus and dengue fever”.

With respect to food safety and nutrition, Fritz points to the latest US National Climate Assessment (2018), which states, “Climate change, including rising temperatures and changes in weather extremes, is projected to adversely affect food security by altering exposures to certain pathogens and toxins (for example, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio parahaemolyticus in raw oysters, and mycotoxigenic fungi).”

Rising global temperatures could make it more favorable for microorganisms to adapt much easier, and come in closer contact with humans. In January 2020, the Journal of Clinical Investigation published articles by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine professors warning that global climate change is likely to “unlock dangerous new microbes, as well as threaten humans’ ability to regulate body temperature.” In the journal, Professor Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D writes, “Given that microbes can adapt to higher temperatures, there is concern that

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global warming will select for microbes with higher heat tolerance that can defeat our endothermy defenses and bring new infectious diseases”. He cites a particular climate-related threat that can be unleashed from the fungal kingdom: “We have proposed that global warming will lead many fungal species to adapt to higher temperatures, and some with pathogenic potential for humans will break through the defensive barrier provided by endothermy”. In the journal, the professors have stated that “long-term strategies are urged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the trend of rising temperatures.”

This strong call is echoed by the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which explicitly links climate action with a healthier environment – “from cleaner air and reduced risks of extreme heat waves to keeping in check the spread of diseases”.

Small things teach big lessons

Our intimacy with the invisible natural world could not be highlighted more by the rapid spread of the virus to nearly every continent on the planet within a mere three months. It took a microbe, which does not exhibit the particular human ailment of drawing lines between race, colour, gender or status, to teach us a lesson about our common humanity.

Photo by Aleksandr Simonov

As of this writing, billions of us around the world are still unable to leave our homes because of government-sanctioned quarantines and lockdowns. If anything, as the near future is yet uncertain, this is a good time to reflect on our humble place in the world, and more importantly, to think about how we could cultivate a deeper respect for all living things. For if we are to look at ourselves as one body, with different parts that depend on each other to function, perhaps our rising fevers point to the indisputable fact that our planet is burning up. Our symptoms have emerged because our planet itself is sick.

Many have said that life after Covid-19 will never be the same again. Given the systemic collapse of the global economy, public services, supply chains and social norms, is it wise to continue to go back to the status quo? Now would be a good time to start to think about how to chart our way forward — instead of disconnecting and acting unilaterally from the natural world, it is high time we begin to live in harmony with it by taking only what we need and ensure the planet’s health — and our own.

For as we have observed and painfully felt, our relationship with our planet can be as fragile as a butterfly’s wings.

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As the coronavirus crisis begins to rise in countries including the UK, US and India, the peak of the virus is already upon Spain. Sharing their experiences are some of those fighting on the frontlines in the battle against COVID-19.

As this article is being written, the coronavirus crisis is in its heaviest phase yet. In the last few days Italy has experienced the highest amount of fatalities in a day. In India thousands find themselves displaced, without homes or work, caught in a no-man’s land. In the United States, early signs are worrying, with over 2,300 fatalities according to The New York Times. Like Italy, Spain has also registered the highest amount of deaths in a day from the virus to date.

Spanish society is showing a level of resilience. People are following the protocols ordered by the Government and not leaving their houses for anything more than going to the supermarket, pharmacy or hospital. One of the most moving examples of solidarity over the last two weeks has been the daily routine of everyone going out to their balconies and windows to applaud the country’s public health staff at eight o’clock each evening.

The gesture is one that is appreciated by nurses and doctors nationwide. To see how

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their work is appreciated by the general public is a much needed lift to a collective that currently find themselves under-equipped, and putting their health at risk every day, in hospitals that, especially in the Spanish capital, Madrid, are overrun with patients. Pharmacists, police, military and supermarket workers are all also continuing their work on the now desolate streets of Spain.

Perhaps given the outgoing, laid back, sun-soaked image of Spain that many of us (including native Spaniards) have of the country, the lockdown is even more apparent. In Madrid, silent streets are occasionally interrupted by ambulance sirens and police helicopters, empty terraces and shops with the shutters down are so far from the usual reality of the city. In other parts of the country, the severity of the situation has not escalated to the same level as it has in the capital, but the expectation that it may do hangs over hospitals which are already being pushed to the edge of their limits.

Spain’s heroes on the frontline

Miguel is a nurse working in the Basque Country. He has spent a good few years away from his former profession, but he, like many others, has responded to the Government’s recall of medical workers. He tells me that

tomorrow he begins working in the intensive care unit of his hospital which is set aside for Covid-19 affected patients and says he finds himself surprised by how relaxed he is. In his hospital and in the Basque Country, the state of mind of his colleagues is slightly different. At the time I speak to Miguel, his colleagues are not overloaded with patients, and therefore are not worried or exhausted because of the amount of work they have, but are concerned about the imminent future and that what they have seen in other parts of the country may repeat itself there.

What they fear in the Basque Country is a situation like that in Madrid, a situation which urologist Alejandro, currently finds himself in . “Everything has changed. Everything we did beforehand, we don’t do now…. we are worried and uncertain, you never know on a new day what they are going to ask you to do”. His speciality now takes a backseat, as all are called upon to take on multiple functions. He adds that the hospital “is full of coronavirus” and that “all of the hospitals in Madrid, 100% of them, are completely jammed up”. Radiography Therapist Vanesa, also based in Madrid, says “right now we live day by day”, despite the normally highly methodical

and programmed routine of her department. Palliative specialist Ana, who works in Navarra is experiencing similar incertitude and flux as those working in Madrid. “Right now, I can’t organise my work at all, because we never know what we are going to find each day when we arrive”.

Despite being stretched thin, and full of incertitude, at times fear, at times anger at the situation having reached this point, the general attitude of Spain’s medical staff seems to be best summarised by Fernando, a GP from Andalucía who says “People are very motivated. There are colleagues who are very afraid but in general the level of motivation is very high. Everyone is willing to do what needs to be done”.

The loss of human touch

Ana finds her work particularly heavily affected by the new regulations that enforce minimum contact with her patients. As a palliative specialist, having to face deaths amongst her patients is of course, part of the job, and therefore not necessarily the part which most affects her, as it may other

No traffic in the surroundings of Madrid’s | Photo by El País

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workers who are currently having to work in extreme circumstances. The elimination of human touch is what she identifies as the most difficult challenge she has to overcome. She says “there are times when the patient is dying and you have to tell their family that they are dying, and you can’t even put a hand on their shoulder. We revert back a lot to I am so sorry I can’t hug you or give you a cuddle, but I am giving it to you with my heart, my soul, for me this is really hard.….This is the most difficult part because it dehumanises my work”.

Urologist Alejandro on the other hand, sees physical contact as something that is going to be affected in both society and medicine. “People are going to maintain their distance...the world is going to change after this coronavirus crisis, and it has to”. He adds “unnecessary physical contact has to be eliminated” even going as far as to say he “may never shake a patient’s hand ever again”.

This term “unnecessary physical contact” may prove to become highly controversial and subjective in the world of medicine after the crisis. Ana puts forward “I think that [humans] are social beings and physical contact for us is indispensable. The problem is we aren’t conscious of it”. Bringing this idea back to the current state of affairs she says “… there are people who break down and cry and you can’t console them with more than words, and words sometimes aren’t enough”.

When a country comes together

While as Fernando says, in the hospitals everyone is willing to do what needs to be done, the same can be said of the majority of Spanish society who have followed Government protocols during the lockdown. Those who spoke to us were satisfied that Spanish society had reacted well both in terms of following instruction and in the solidarity they have shown with those still working.

Health workers working in the hospital mounted in Ifema in Madrid | Photo by EFE

Medical staff clap their hands at the entrance of the Fundacion Jimenez Diaz hospital, in Madrid, to thank people back for supporting them as they fight coronavirus | Photo by Enrique Campo Bello

I think that [humans] are social beings and physical contact for us is indispensable. The problem is we aren’t conscious of it.

Ana

Palliative Specialist, Navarra

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Juan, a Military Police Officer from Andalucía tells me that tomorrow he is going to “collect a packet of masks from a sewing shop”. Several interviewees identified similar sewing projects and other initiatives, such as people with 3D printers who are making respirators, proving that the Spanish people are supporting each other at this time of crisis.

All those I spoke to were clear in mentioning that they are referring to a majority, unfortunately there are always some who do not take on board the gravity of the situation. Bearing in mind that some countries are only now entering their first week of lockdown, Ana has a few choice words for anyone who feels that they can still head over to their friend’s place to hang out for a while — “This is everyone’s problem, not just your problem. If the whole world makes an exception, this exception stops being an exception and becomes a norm”.

Initial panicked reactions which have seen unprecedented bulk buying of toilet paper and hand sanitiser are perhaps down to misinformation according to ICU nurse, Miguel. Dr Francesc Xavier, neuroscientist at the Center of Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa in Madrid expands on this point, commenting that “fake news is inevitable nowadays with social networks and the technology we have at our hands….it is important that people try to look for official channels, at a Governmental level or through channels of recognised science, pages of CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), official institutes…”. The problem of false information is also highlighted by paediatrician Guadalupe, who recommends people look at the simply expressed information compiled by the World Health Organization and the Ministry Of Health.

People in the balcony of his appartments during the lockdown ordered by the goverment in Spain | Photo by larioja.com

People in the balcony of his appartments during the lockdown ordered by the goverment in Spain | Photo by Axel Alvarez

The important thing is not if it happens again, but the reaction to avoid the consequences being like these.

Dr Francesc Xavier

Center of Molecular Biology, Severo Ochoa

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From the outside looking in

As is the case with much of the western world especially, responses in Spain have come too late. Yu Ching is an entrepreneur and economics graduate currently living in Spain, but originally from Taiwan, one of the countries which has contained the virus most effectively. She says that the general reaction in Taiwan to the West’s failure to contain the virus has been one of surprise. Miguel comments that “we are in the hands of people like Trump, Bolsonaro, Boris Johnson, to manage this — it’s complicated”. Although poor handling of the situation has been more or less universal, as Miguel suggests, these three names stand out as the nominees for most reckless leadership. In late March, President Bolsonaro continued to dismiss the virus as both a “little flu” and a media campaign to force him out of power. The US President meanwhile, after ignoring advice for earlier lockdowns, and having seen the extremity of cases in Europe and rise in the States, is now saying 100,000-200,000 deaths in the USA would be a triumph. Attitude more than anything is what has been frustrating amongst these leaders — UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the epitome of irresponsibility, as a few weeks ago, despite the necessity for collective responsibility, boasted of still shaking hands with everyone. Somewhat inevitably, the PM has since tested positive for coronavirus.

A combination of poor coordination and in some cases frustratingly careless leadership have certainly been of no help to the cause. Yu Ching goes on to offer that “maybe [Taiwan handled it better] because we have more experience working with China”, and also points out that the country learned many lessons from the devastating effects of the SARS crisis 17 years ago. Nonetheless, she says the people in Taiwan are surprised by the inefficiency of both European countries and the United States.

The time to “give it your all”

Whilst the failure to prevent the spread has been a global failure, what is happening now in Spain is a matter of people making the best of what they can of the situation. GP Fernando comments “it is not so much the moment to criticise, as it is to give it your all”, which is agreed upon by Guadalupe, who says — “Of course there are things that can be improved, but this is the moment to roll up your sleeves and work and not criticise”.

Taking a hard look at our value-system

As the world’s eyes look not just to hospitals, but to laboratories in hope of a vaccine, how we value the world of research is in need of desperate attention. Dr Francesc Xavier is not particularly optimistic about a greater sense of value for scientists in the near future and attributes positive attention to human action in a moment of crisis, also pointing towards the problem of research taking time to produce results, and therefore not receiving the attention it needs.

Both Juan and Guadalupe put forward more optimistic perspectives in how the general public will appreciate people in their respective sectors on the other side of the crisis. What they are both more wary of is whether politicians’ memories will be as long as the public’s. Miguel is sceptical of both political and public revaluation in the long-term. Whilst he is thankful that in the Basque Country, their health system has been fairly well maintained over the last few years, he says “in Madrid, for example, they have had 20 years of cuts with the PP (Popular Party) government. In those twenty years, healthcare professionals have protested in the streets and really, people have not supported them as they should have”. Whilst politicisation of the crisis may be seen as untimely by some, neglect of public health cannot be overlooked if we are to all learn from the mistakes of the past, both in Spain and abroad. In Andalucía,

Guardia Civil officers applaud to show their support to medical staff fightingcoronavirus pandemic | Photo by Enrique Campo Bello

Military Police Officer Juan comments that after a period of tension in February following joint Police/Guardia Civil protests over unequal pay (compared to other global police forces), the industrial action and ongoing pay-dispute was put on hold as “right now, we have to be at the front and do what we usually do which is be there for the people”.

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Fernando highlights similar problems to those being seen in Madrid— “The scarcity of the means that we have is fruit of a lack of investment over the last few years. This is a system that was working at the limit in normal conditions. When a crisis has arrived we have seen overflows because we were at the limit. Every year with the flu, we are on the edge of collapse”.

Fernando’s perspective is important in the current context, taking into account Alejandro’s assertion that the main fear amongst his colleagues in Madrid is lack of equipment and being infected with Covid-19, bearing the double impact of not being able to work and infecting patients. Radiography Therapist Vanesa is also critical of the lack of protection for medical workers, saying that she was saddened when she herself had to negotiate with the supplies department for masks, when it is normally a very simple item, which is ordered without thinking twice. She and her husband, who is also a Radiography Therapist, both tested positive for the virus in mid-March. Whilst suffering a rough opening three days with a thirty-eight degree fever and “not even being able to move”, after that she recovered. Her husband however, continued to suffer much more severe symptoms. “I saw my husband sunken, defeated, throwing in the towel… I had to take him to emergencies twice… My colleagues have told me that they have seen how radiographies of how [the virus] consumes a lung in three hours… this was my fear”. Thankfully Vanesa’s husband has recovered, though she explains “he is very weak, he has lost 7 kilos, I have lost four”.

A group of healthcare workers fighting coronavirus gather outside the Fundación Jiménez Díaz hospital, in Madrid, and draw muscle as a sign of optimism | Photo by Enrique Campo Bello

The scarcity of the means that we have is fruit of a lack of investment over the last few years. This is a system that was working at the limit in normal conditions. When a crisis has arrived we have seen overflows because we were at the limit. Every year with the flu, we are on the edge of collapse.

Fernando

GP, Andalucía

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Neither Vanesa or her husband are in a high risk demographic in terms of age, but of course, despite the protocols they enforced in their own houses, with the amount of infected patients they have had to see and limited protection — infection was hard to avoid.

Life on the other side of the tunnel

With regards to the idea of a new positivity and attention given to the health system, whilst Vanesa is “sure that we are going to suffer cuts again”, others are more optimistic. Paediatrician Guadalupe believes that the crisis is initially going to give public health a boost, though she is not so sure how long this new energy is going to last. Fernando agrees, and adds that the momentum that those who pushed for privatisation over the past few years, particularly in Madrid, will be significantly damaged as they will struggle to find support.

Around the idea of us being able to revalue our lives and society, there is wishfulness, optimism and pessimism amongst those who are confronting the coronavirus daily in Spain. Guadalupe points to the crisis of 2008 which also saw a greater sense of solidarity amongst the Spanish people. The difference this time, as she says, is that “this crisis affects us all. It doesn’t matter if you’re old, young, white, black, homosexual, rich, poor…”. Her hope is that society may reevaluate itself in the same way that an individual may find a new awareness after recovering from a serious illness.

Miguel hopes that this crisis will see us “give a little value to what truly has value rather than what we are made to think has value” and that rather than “Messi or Cristiano” it is “the medics, the nurses, the ambulance drivers, the greengrocers that we need”. Vanesa is also quick to point out the importance of collective value, and sings the praises not just of medical staff, but those staying in their houses and cashiers at supermarkets “who are risking their lives every day”.

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Give a little value to what truly has value rather than what we are made to think has value.

Miguel

ICU Nurse, Basque Country

In terms of changing attitudes, Fernando is less optimistic, concluding that “he fears that as ever after crises, there will be winners and losers. And capital will win again, and lower-level people will lose again, we will return to the old path, the triumph of capitalism, the rich will come out richer and the poor poorer”. If we look to Taiwan, as highlighted by Yu Ching, there are some lessons in attitude we can learn from. In a time of crisis, government regulation has proven to be key in the field of supplies when responding to the virus in Taiwan. Yu Ching explains that the government regulates both the amount of masks that a person can buy (one a day using a public health card), export of masks was not allowed, and that regulation also caused the prices to remain the same, whereas the prices for gloves and masks in Spain has rocketed.

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Would we be ready for the next pandemic?

In a recent interview with El País, author Yuval Noah Harari stated that it is unlikely that we face another pandemic like this within our lifetimes. Dr Francesc Xavier is not completely convinced saying that “unfortunately, I think that there will be more pandemics of this kind, these transmissions of animal pathogens to humans [have been evident] in humanity for thousands of years…. In places like China with very high population density, where in some areas they live with live animals in markets, it is easier for these transmissions to happen and so sooner or later, it’s logical that a similar situation happens. The important thing is not if it happens again, but the reaction to avoid the consequences being like these”. Urologist Alejandro believes that global communication and management of pandemics will improve, pointing towards Taiwan’s management of Covid-19 following 2003’s SARS pandemic as a possible indication of this. In a direct sense therefore, how to tackle pandemics will hopefully be a lesson in global communication and collaboration that will especially serve those who this time around, largely ignored the warnings from China and the World Health Organization.

Can we act on our reflections?

In search of a positive angle some have pointed to ecological regeneration and dropping air pollution as a silver lining among the many clouds. Whilst it is of course true that a lack of human activity has led to a fall in global contamination, it is hard to see this as a significant consolation in face of both the increasing human cost at the hands of Covid-19 and the fact that the mitigation of pollution within this time can be undone by the resumption of business as usual when the gears of the global economy begin to grind back into action.

The most important lessons we can learn are perhaps less tangible, and more the fruits of reflection on — 1 — our society’s value system, 2 — our own mortality, not as individuals but the human race as a whole.

On this second point, Dr Francesc Xavier identified that a big contributor in the halting of Covid-19 actioin Europe/Spain, was that people saw China as something distant, something which simply wouldn’t be able to touch us. The distance of climate change is comparable in this respect, perhaps more in terms of time rather than geographically.

No traffic in the surroundings of Madrid’s Puerta de Alcalá | Photo by Enrique Campo Bello

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Just as many saw the spread and spike in China and did not take its impact seriously, the effects of climate change will punish our collective inaction in what may seem like a distant future but will manifest itself within many of our lifetimes. Palliative specialist Ana also pointed out how we see climate change as a very distant threat, with GP Fernando worrying that regulation of carbon emissions will be completely parked in terms of priorities, as the restimulation of the economy will as ever, come first. An important question worth asking ourselves comparing climate change and Covid-19 is — do we think that tomorrow will never come when it comes to the consequences of our actions? Last minute measures will prove to be as effective with the climate crisis as they have been with Covid-19, that is to say, somewhat, but not nearly enough. We can’t afford to keep putting the economy ahead of everything, when as we can see, this is not a chicken/egg situation — there is no economy without people, which is why last minute measures designed to keep the economy functioning at its normal velocity, cannot be the way forward when dealing with crises, and the climate crisis is most definitely included.

Looking at what is important to us, as societies, what we value will hopefully be called into question and deeply reflected upon once we come out on the other side of the tunnel. On an individual level, as much as applauding public health systems at eight o’clock is a beautiful gesture of solidarity, it will prove to be empty if we turn our back on public health in the long-term when the crisis ends. This goes for both people and politicians, as public health does not need just a season of applause at a time of crisis, but continuing advocacy, and crucially — increased investment instead of further austerity.

Yu Ching is optimistic that here in Spain, people’s naturally easy going character will afford them a fast social recovery, though the economic one may take more time. This social recovery however, will depend a lot on how people are directly affected. Paediatrician Guadalupe says “I think we are all going to experience the crisis in a close way... {and] this is going to stay with us”. Dr Francesc similarly adds “Never before have we found ourselves in a situation like this… this will surely leave its mark on people”.

Taking into account this mark that Dr Francesc talks about, as Ana says, “I hope this serves us to reflect…”. It is just that which many of her colleagues on the frontlines express — a hope — rather than a prediction — that in the wake of a crisis which has affected us all, we can learn to give value to what we have traditionally overlooked, and in the future, be decisive, acting on the endless wells of human knowledge, rather than putting the relentless forward motion of the world’s economy ahead of its people, waiting till danger is on our doorstep. Never have the words “wake-up call” been more apt. We will survive this crisis. But if we do not all do as Ana hopes — reflect — we may not survive the next one.

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Living a change of Era

Sustinable is not a trend, it’s a reality: The Sustainable Development Goals

With just a decade towards achieving the 17 SDG’s, the foundation towards a better, more sustainable future is set, and the time to take action: now.

What is their current state regarding their completion?

As of the end of the year 2019 - early 2020, about 150 countries have developed national policies in order to tackle the many issues necessary for the completion of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Despite the spectacular progress in some areas, however, others remain that require urgent attention, such as poverty, education and climate action to name a few.

In order to achieve social and economic transformation, crucial to the achievement of the 17 SDG’s by 2030, national and individual efforts must be effectively supported by international cooperation.

What impacts can we expect on the Earth if they are achieved?

Out of the existing SDG’s, the one that requires the most attention due to being the most urgent one is Climate change. At the current pace, our already too warm planet could rise another 1.5 ºC in the upcoming decades, with catastrophic consequences.

Succesfully adressing the 17 SDG’s, including Climate Action, will warrant a safer, more hospitable planet than the one we are living now. A planet without acidic oceans that threaten to flood coast lines. One where the biodiversity of species, both animal and vegetable is preserved and where the atmospheric concentration of CO2 remains within average standards.

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

While extreme poverty keeps declining, its pace has slowed to the point that its demise by 2030 seems in serious risk. The efficient cooperation between local governments, international cooperation and the deployement of social protection policies may yet turn the tide once more and see that this goal is realised.

Between 2000 and 2014, the amount of people suffering from hunger had lessened, only to be on the rise from 2014 onwards. On the other hand, the other side of malnutrition, overweight, is also on the rise across all age groups. More effort is needed in supporting resilient agricultural practices and ensuring access to safe, nutritious food for all.

3. Ensure healthy lives and promtoe well-being for all at all ages.

A spectacular progress has been achieved in improving the health of millions across de globe. Life expectancy increases globally whilst maternal and chil mortality rates are on the drop. However, at least one half of the world’s population still do not have acces to essential health services, meaning there is still leaps to take in order to achieve universal health coverage.

It is clear to all that education is the means towards socioeconomic mobility and escaping poverty. However, millions of children are still not being educated. The disparities in educational opportunities are patent in many regions. These gaps should be the target of policy makers to ensure the improvement in the quality of education and its access.

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Whilst the world is steadily becoming a better place for women than it was in the past, examples of inequality in the ambits of representation, work, sexual and reproductive health and autonomy still exist. In order to achieve gender equality, the roots of discrimination will have to be addressed by firm policies and laws across the planet.

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Of all natural resources, one of the most basic by far, essential for human life and very much under threat with an estimated 50-70% of the world’s natural wetland lost. While progress has been made increasing access to clean drinking water, still there are billions that lack this most basic of services.

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

With the access to electricity in poorer countries accelerating, it is clear that progress is being made towards this goal, specially with the penetration of renewable energies in the electricity sector. However, access to clean and safe cooking fuels must be addressed as 3 billion people still do not have access to these options.

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full productive employment and decent work for all.

In the 2000 - 2020 period GDP per capita and labour productivity have gone up, however the increase of employment opportunities, especially for young people has yet to follow. Further decreasing inequalities between age groups and genders is one of the next steps to ensure this goal is met by 2030.

Despite the recent progress and the impressive goals met in mobile connectivity, the industrialization process in Least Developed Countries is too slow to meet the 2030 target. Incorporating policies that ensure the financial services needed to grow and innovate in these countries through international cooperation is a next step to consider.

10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.

Despite progress in some areas, greater focus is needed to reduce income and other inequalities. Especially those related to the possibilities of labour market access. Technical assistance should also be provided to LDC’s in order to boost their trade.

With over one half of the world population living in cities as off 2007, and with that number in constant rise, rapid urbanisation is resulting in growing slums and inadequate infrastructure. Already 150 countries have developed national urban plans to respond to these issues.

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Globally, the efficiency with which natural resources are used remaing largely unchanged. About on third of the food produced for human consumtion is lost or wasted. This issue requires urgent action and to create and embrace policies that improve our resource efficiency accross all sectors of the economic spectrum.

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Climate change is happening much faster than expected. 2018 global temperature was alread approximately 1ºC above the pre-industrial baseline and sea levels continue rising while countries begin taking the steps to combat climate change before it is too late.

Climate change is the single, greatest most defining issue of our time and its effects are expected to become irreversible and catastrophic if the global temperature goes above 1.5ºC above the pre-industrial baseline. This will require most sectors, but specially those of energy, infrastructure and waste management to transition and transform by 2030.

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

The planet’s greatest ecosystem is increasing in adicification with great threat to marine life and sabotaging the ocean’s role in moderating climate change through CO2 absortion mechanisms. Though much has been done to preserve the oceans, still more is needed in many regions.

Many efforts are being implemented for sustainable forest management plans, sharing of genetic resources, protecting ecosystems and autoctonous species as well as soil quality. Legal mechanisms are being adopted too, but all of this has to scale up to meet 2030 standards.

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Conflict and other forms of violence are an obstacle in the path towards sustainable development. The protection of our peers is crucial to achieveing the goal of peaceful, inclusive societies. A goal that nowadays still seems far away from its 2030 target.

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

The support for raising the awareness and implementation of the SDG’s is growing, but still has far to reach. Trough the power of international cooperation, the possibility still exists that more and more institutions will join in order to achieve the 2030 target goals for all SDG’s.

With one half of the world’s population having access to the internet and being appropiately informed, the attention must now be directed to the other half and ensure that the entire planet has access to the knowledge and resources they may need, regarding the SDG’s.